Water wheel



WATER WHEEL Filed April 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WQTNES em/V3 flag/Wm ATTORNEY I Aug. 12, 1930 c. RIXE 1,773,010

WATER WHEEL Filed April 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1930. WE 1373mm WATER WHEEL Filed April 1, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 u l l I l a a INVENTOR BY Qabz ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Aug. 12, 1930 an stares CARL BIKE, F BENNETT, IOWA WATER WHEEL Application filed April 1,

This invention relates to Water wheels and is more particularly directed to that type of wheel which is adapted to be located beneath a water fall. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of a Water Wheel having a plurality of elongated buckets arranged in the periphery of a rotary member with cranks extending from the opposite end of the buckets and form axles for supporting said buckets in the rotary member, a crank at one end of the bucket being disposed at an angle of 90 to theother crank with the ends of the crank being located within tracks for guiding the cranks and controlling the normal operative position of the buckets in their dumping posi-' tions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a water wheel having tracks upon opposite sides of the rotary member which carries a plurality of buckets and cranks projecting from the ends of the buckets, one of the tracks being considerably distorted relative to the circumference of a circle, the

' tracks being adapted to receive-the end of the cranks for predetermining the position of the buckets throughout their circular movement so that the buckets will be tilted at their lowermost position for emptying the water collected therein while being positioned in a normal operative manner to receive the water, the forward edge of each bucket pro jecting over the edge of preceding buckets in order to prevent the Water-from spilling" over the preceding buckets instead of properly filling the oncoming bucket.

This invention'wlll be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the in- 1929'. Serial No. 3513201.

vention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear end view of a water Wheel constructed in accordance With the principles of my invention, I

F lgure 2 is a vertical section through a. track and a crank which is guided by the track,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of the track,

Figure 1} is a vertical section of the water wheel showing the configuration of'one of the tracks,

Figure 5 is a vertical section showing the configuration of the oppositely disposed track,

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the supporting axles of the buckets,

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a bucket wlth its cranks projecting from the opposite ends thereof. Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate standards Which have a-flange 12 adapted tobe secured to a concrete foundation. A shaft 13 is supported 1n bearings 14 in the standards 10 and 11 and a pulley 15 issecured to the. shaft on which a belt is adapted to be trained.

A cross bar 16 is secured to the upper end of the standards 10 and 11 and is adapted to connect thestandards together and act as a reinforcement. 1

A pair of discs 17 and 18 are securedto the shaft 13. "A plurality of axles 20 are mounted in bearings 21 and 22, respectively, secured in the plates 17 and 18. From one end of the shaft 20'projects a crank 23 having a roller 24 adapted to be received within a track ,The' opposite end of the axle is formed into a crank 26 having a roller 27 adapted to be received by a track '29. It will be noted that the cranks 23 and 26 are disposed at right angles to each other for a purpose which will be presently explained.

\ The track is secured to the standard 10 and has a substantially circular portion throughout the greater portion of its length and an arcuately-shaped portion 31 formed on a considerably smaller radius than the circular portion 30 and projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of the circumference of the circular portion 30. The track 29 has an arcuately-shaped portion 33 and an indented portion 34, a substantially flattened portion 35 and a bulging or outwardly proj ecting portion 36. The track 25 is supported on the standard 10 by means of laterally projecting arms and 41, while the track 29 is supported from the standard 11 by means of arms 42, 43, 44; and 45.

Secured to each axle 20 is a bucket which is substantially cup-shaped in cross section and extends longitudinally of the axle. The

1 on its downward position where it receives the water from the water fall. These projecting lips extending as they do over the rear edge of each preceding bucket will tend to provide a steppcdreceptacle to receive the water and to prevent the water from falling through the wheel or between the bucket-s.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The water wheel including the discs or plates 17 and 18 and the buckets 50 is revolved by water pouring into the buckets at the upper most position of travel of the buckets. After the buckets are filled the weight will cause them to descend, revolving the wheel andthe rollers 24 and 27, and move respectively through the right hand portions of the track adjacent the buckets in Figure 6, whereby the upper open ends ofthe buckets are retained in substantially horizontal position until the buckets reach their lowermost travel, when the distorted tracks indicated at 36, 35 and 31 will cause the buckets to tilt forwardly as shown at the bottom of Figure 6 whereby the water is dumped. The ascending buckets are thenvmoved by the configuration of the two tracks to a substantially horizontal position shown in the descending position of the buckets until the said buckets pass-the third quarter in their movement. As the cranks or rollers at the ends of the cranks pass through the indented portion34s of the track 29 the buckets are slightly tilted as shown in Fig ure 6 and this is done for the purpose of permitting the projecting lips 51 of the buckets to clear the rear edges of the bucketsas they are moving to the uppermost position so that" the projecting lips 51 of the descending buckets will overlap the rear edge of said buckets.

I claim: 1. A water wheel comprising a revolubl member, a plurality of buckets rockably mounted on the revoluble member and provided with cranks positioned at opposite ends of the buckets and tracks fixed in position at opposite sides of the revoluble member to receive the ends of the cranks for oscillating the buckets to dumping position and for retaining the buckets in normal waterreceiving positions, one crank being disposed at a right angle to the other crank, one of P the tracks having an indented portion, the other track having an eccentric portion cooperating with the indented portion and the engaged cranks for causing the buckets to tilt outwardly before said buckets reach the highest point. in their travel.

2. A water wheel comprising a revoluble member, a plurality of buckets rockably mounted on the revoluble member and provided with cranks positioned at opposite ends of thevbuckets and tracks fixed in position at opposite sides of the revoluble member to receive the ends of the cranks, one of the tracks having a curved portion formed along an arc of a circle which is eccentric with respect tothe axis of the revoluble member and engaged by one of the cranks, a similarly positionedportion of the other track being engaged by the other crank and having an extended portion substantially concentric with the axis of the revoluble member, an indented portion merging in said concentric portion and a curved portion beyond the indented portion communicating with the indented portion, said portions of the tracks co-operating with the respective cranks for causing a feathering of the buckets just be fore said buckets reach theirhighest point of movement for oscillating the buckets to diunping position and for retaining the buckets in normal water-receiving positions, one crank being disposed at a right angle to the other crank, said tracks having disfigured portions adjacent their lower portions to cause dumping of the buckets.

3. A water wheel comprising a revoluble member, a plurality of buckets rockably mounted 011 the revoluble member and provided with cranks positioned at opposite ends of the: buckets and'tracks fixed in position at opposite sides of the revoluble member to receive the ends of the cranks, one of the tracks having a curved portion formed along an arc of a circle which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the revoluble member and engaged by one of the cranks, a similarly positioned portion of the other track being engaged by the other crank and having an extended portion substantially concentric with the axis of the revoluble member, an.

indented portion merging in said concen tric portion and a curved portion beyond the indented portion communicating with the indented portion, said portions of-the tracks cooperating with the respective cranks for dumping position and for retaining the buckets in normal water-receiving positions, one crank being disposed at a right angle to the other crank, the ends of the cranks having rollers thereon and engageable with the tracks for normally retaining the buckets in a predetermined position.

4. A water wheel comprising a revoluble member, a plurality of buckets rockably mounted on the revoluble member and provided with cranks positioned at opposite ends of the buckets and tracks fixed in position at opposite sides of the revoluble member to receive the ends of the cranks, one of the tracks having a curved portion formed along an arc of a circle which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the revoluble member and engaged by one of the cranks, a similarly positioned portion of the other track being engaged by the other crank and having an extended portion substantially concentric with the axis of the revoluble member, an indented portion merging in said concentric portion and a curved portion beyond the indented portion communicating with the indented portion, said portions of the tracks co-operating with the respective cranks for causing a feathering of the buckets just before said buckets reach their highest point of movement for oscillating the buckets to dumping position and for retaining the buckets in normal water-receiving positions, one crank being disposed at a right angle to the other crank, one of the tracks adjacent the bottom having a flattened portion, the other track having a projecting portion cooperating with the flattened portion for moving the cranks through paths which will cause dumping of the buckets.

5. A water wheel comprising a revoluble member, a plurality of buckets rockably mounted on the revoluble member and provided with cranks positioned at opposite ends of the buckets and tracks fixed in position at opposite sides of the revoluble member to receive the ends of the cranks, one of the tracks having a curved portion formed along an arc of a circle which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the revoluble member and engaged by one of the cranks, a similarly positioned portion of the other track being engaged by the other crank and having an extended portion substantially concentric with the axis of the revoluble member, an indented portion merging in said concentric portion and a curved portion beyond the indented portion communicating with the indented portion, said portions of the tracks co-opcrating with the respective cranks for causing a feathering of the buckets just before said buckets reach their highest point of movement for oscillating the buckets to dumping position and for retaining the buckets in normal water-receiving positions, one crank being disposed at a right angle to the other crank, one of the tracks being substantially circular and having an arcuately-shaped portion extending beyond the circumference of the circular portion, the other track having an indented portion, and a substantially flattened portion which cooperates with the arcuately-shaped portion of the other track and the cranks for causing dumping of the buckets.

CARL RIXE. 

